Cycling

Ride Cyclery gave Carlsbad a good go, however, it seems they’ve decided that their location next to Bobby’s Hideaway Cafe on El Camino Real just North of Cannon wasn’t cutting it and announced that as of Friday, May 5, 2017 they are shutting the location down. Here’s how they pitched it:

Every good story has a beginning and an end. We had a good RIDE with RIDE Cyclery – Carlsbad, however today marks the end of the story for this particular shop. . . We would like to thank you for your support over the past few years! We made a ton of new friends, had fun playing in the dirt and are grateful for the things we learned through this venture.

Ride will still be servicing customers through their Encinitas and San Diego stores as well as their RIDE 2U Mobile Showroom and Service Van. It was nice having a great shop nearby and we will miss them, but we totally understand — that location was pretty much an invisible hole.

Carlsbad is on track to get a new top-end bike service shop in the heart of the Village when Velo Hangar’sGordon Yeager turns his dream into a reality.

What I’m planning to create is a social spot — a spot where I can sell my VH branded merchandise, but most importantly create a place for all of us to gather, hang out, socialize,” Yeager says. ” That’s why I’m planning to build Velo Hangar SC. It’s part social, part service, it’s all you. Think patio, coffee, chill. Luckily I’ll be sharing space with a top notch locally owned coffee roaster on the premise. My space will be my own though. Solar powered, Eco-friendly, simple. I need help with the construction. The FF&E’s, the cargo container itself.. I will be starting construction in August of 2016. The spot has been secured.

Yeager is inviting everyone to buy in on the rebirth of Velo Hanger with a GoFundMe Campaign. Southern California cyclists have missed Yeager since he and his former business partner closed their popular Solana Beach location. And we’ve missed having a pro cycling mechanic in The Village since Carbon Connection closed last year. Now, with a little help from all of us, Velo Hangar can live again and right in the heart of Carlsbad. To help out, click the link.

Want to spend a great day on your bike while rolling through Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and Oceanside? Then the Tri-City Medical Center’s Bike The Coast on October 10, 2015 may just be that day.

Bike the Coast – Taste the Coast is a recreational bicycle ride offering a choice of 7, 15, 25, 50 and 100-mile rides starting and finishing with food, beer garden, sports expo and music at the Oceanside Pier on Saturday, October 10, 2015. The cycling courses include the San Luis Rey Bike Trail and San Diego’s North County beaches of Oceanside, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar. Proceeds from the ride support the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition www.sdcbc.org — a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to making bicycling better in greater San Diego.

If you’re going to ride your bike to work one day this year (you should be doing it every day, of course) then make it Bike To Work Day (Friday, May 15, 2015) because the City of Carlsbad and the San Diego Association of Governments will hook you up with some free goodies, maybe even a T-shirt at their “pit stop” at triangle park aka Frazee Beach at Carlsbad Boulevard and Pine Avenue.

“The City of Carlsbad encourages those who live and work in and around the city to join neighbors, friends and coworkers in celebrating Bike to Work Day with us,” said Rachael Shay, special events supervisor for the city. “The many miles of bike-friendly transportation systems in our community and now a great campaign like Walk + Bike Carlsbad make it easy to take in Carlsbad from a different perspective.”

We’ll see you on the road. For the official word from the City of Carlsbad, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]

Carlsbad’s own action eyewear company Spy is holding its infamous annual Spy Belgian Waffle Ride and Fitness Expo on Saturday and Sunday April 25-26, 2015 all centered around San Marco’s Lost Abby Brewery.

The ride itself takes place on Sunday, April 26th and once again, it will be surrounded a two-day bicycle and fitness expo, kicking off at The Lost Abbey brewery in San Marcos, CA, which is also where the start of the race will be. . . Now in its fourth year, the SPY BWR is a grueling 229-kilometer, multi-terrain cycling race that began as a tribute to the beautiful and taxing rides staged in Belgium each spring. The course includes 11,000 feet of arduous climbing through the unrelenting hills of San Diego County and includes a relentless barrage of mud, dirt, single-track and water crossings. . . The Expo will include multiple food trucks from Gear Grinder Grill as well as more than 30 performance and sports related exhibitors.. . More than $10,000 in prizes will be raffled off, including bikes from Giant, Felt, Masi, Haro, as well as prize packs from lululemon. . . The family friendly festivities will also include an astro jump and bouncy house for children in attendance.

If you like bikes (and/or beer) then the Spy Belgian Waffle weekend is just for you. For more info, please click the link.

Join us at our Carlsbad location for a full-day of celebrating this Sunday, March 15! It’s our way to say thank you for all your support so far, and get things rolling in our next chapter, the new Carlsbad RIDE Cyclery.

There will be pries, contests, group rides, a food truck, give-a-ways and 10 – 20% off deal in the shop. The party begins at 10 AM and runs through 4 PM. If you’re in the mood, roll by at 8 AM for a Ride/Swami’s group ride that will roll you out through the beauty of North County. Ride Cyclery Carlsbad is located at 4901 El Camino Real, in Carlsbad. Right under the big chicken.

We’ve been biking and walking Carlsbadistan for a while now, but we’re glad to see the City of Carlsbad getting behind the program as well with the new Bike & Walk Carlsbad Project. The project is. . .

. . . a campaign to promote walking and biking in Carlsbad, just in time for those seeking fitness and lifestyle changes in the new year. The 12-month effort, funded with a grant by the San Diego Association of Governments, will encourage more walking and biking throughout the city, with a special emphasis on the Village area. . . City of Carlsbad Associate Planner Pam Drew said Carlsbad is a perfect place for a campaign like Walk + Bike. . . “With new bike racks, bike lanes and lighting, it is easier than ever to walk and bike in Carlsbad Village,” said Drew, who is overseeing the campaign for the city. “Walk + Bike fits right in with the community’s values around healthy lifestyles, connectivity, sustainability and economic vitality.”

And if this works well, maybe the City can close a few Carlsbad Village streets to automobile traffic entirely. . . guess we can dream, huh? For the official word from the City and The San Diego Association of Governments, please follow the jump. [click to continue…]

The 2nd Annual Carlsbad Grand Prix located at Armada Drive and Fleet Street, newer Legoland. Professional and amateur bicycle racing, free kids races, plus the one-of-a-kind Family Fun Race for prizes. Mark your calendars for July 20, 2014 and find out what the Carlsbad Grand Prix is all about.

While we’re of that opinion that every day should be bike-to-work day, we realize that others need to start somewhere. What better way to try it out than on Friday, May 30, 2014 when the City of Carlsbad will be handing out goodies to everyone who rides to work. It’s all part of the National Annual Bike To Work Day organized by SANDAG to promote bicycles is a great way to commute. It’s also a great way to check out all the new, wider, hopefully safer bike lanes that are currently going in a long the coast.

“The City of Carlsbad encourages those who live and work in and around the city to join neighbors, friends and coworkers in celebrating Bike to Work Day with us,” said Rachael Shay, special events supervisor for the city. “The many miles of bike-friendly transportation systems in our community make it easy to take in Carlsbad from a different perspective.”

Ringdahl’s friends and members of the local bicycling community put up the ghost bike, said family friend Elizabeth Sugarman. About 15 people turned out Saturday to leave flowers, photos and share a quiet moment to honor Ringdahl at the roadside remembrance.

They are sad to see, however, ghost bikes are a constant reminder to both motorists and cyclists that we all need to share the road.